Apparatus for cooling and dispensing carbonated liquids



March 27, 1928.

W. E. DOUGHTY APPARATUS FOR COOLING AND DISPENSING CARBONATED LIQUIDS 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 1 1926 atl'ozncw March 27, 1928. 1,663,683

w; E. DOUGHTY D LIQUIDS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 APPARATUS FOR COOLING ANDDISPENSING CARBONATE Filed Feb. 1 1926 (Juvenile r Patented Mar. 27,1928.

NT E.

WILLIAM E. DOUGHTY, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO JAMES. VERNOR COM-PANY, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

APPARATUS FOR COOLING AND DISPENSING CARBONATED IiIQUIDS.

Application filed February 1, 1926. Serial No. 85,344.

The invention relates to beverage dispensing and refers moreparticularly to an improved method and apparatus for dispensingcarbonated beverages such as ginger ale.

. Under the present practice of dispensing ginger ale the beverage isprepared in carbonated condition and for convenience in transporting andstoring is placed in suitable containers or tanks subjected torelatively high pressure. Ginger: ale in such condition is commonlyknown as high pressure ale. Heretofore, these tanks of high pressure alewere, before use, placed in an ice packing in order to cool the ale tothe desired temperature for drinking. It is also general practice to runthe high pressure ale into a settling tank or chamber before drawing offthe ale for drinking, the ale in the settling chamber being underrelatively low vpressure and known as low pressure ale.

From the settling chamber the low pressure ale is drawn ofi fordrinking. Thus the settling chamber provides for relief of the greateramount of gas from the ale so that when the ale is drawn from thesettling chamber it will not become unduly foamy, a condition whichwould result if the ale were drawn directly from the high pressure tankto the atmosphere.

Heretofore, the high pressure ale tanks and the settling chamber werepacked in ice. \Vhere the demand for the ale is relatively large,considerable difficulty and inconvenience has been experienced in coolindown the ale to the desired temperature in keeping with the demand. Ithas been found for example, that from seven to eight hours is generallyrequired to cool down a high pressure tank of ale of the ordinary tengallon capacity. Thus, such a dispensing system is not of a flexiblecharacter since the supply of properly cooled ale cannot readily bemaintained in keeping with a fluctuating demand.

Further. difficulty has been experienced in maintaining the ale at thedesired tempera ture at the point of dispensing from the system. Forexample, during the passage of the ale from the settling'chamber, orother source of sup ly to the point of discharge from the dra tapparatus, the temperature and draft apparatus.

is raised by contact with the relatively warm piping and draftapparatus. Such raising of temperature is especially objectionable andnoticeable during the summer months when the draft apparatus and pipingleadmg therefrom to the settling chamber, or other source of supply ofcool ale, becomes quite warm. When the ale is drawn intermittently undersuch conditions, the draft apparatus and piping becomes warm betweendispensing periods so that unless the ale is drawn practicallyconstantly it is considerably above the temperature of the ale in thesettling chamber or other source of supply. a

One of the objects ofmy invention is to providea novel method andapparatus for dispensing ale characterized in its ability to efficientlyand conveniently cool down a continuous supply of ale avoiding theaforesaid difficulties and objections.

A further feature of the invention resides in the provision of means forquickly cooling the ale to the desired temperature avoid- 75. ing theaforesaid difficulties and objections under the heretofore generalpractice of dispensing carbonated beverages.

A still further object of the invention resides in the provision ofmeans whereby the 30 ale is maintained at the desired low temperatureduring its passage from the supply, such as a settling chamber, to thepoint of dispensing avoiding the aforesaid difficulties due to contactof the ale with the piping Thus the draft apparatus may be located asfar as desired from the source of ale and cooling apparatus.

Vith these and other objects in view, the invention resides in the novelfeatures of construction and combination and arrangements of parts asmore fully hereinafter described and claimed. I

Referring to the drawings in which like reference characters indicatecorresponding parts,

Figure 1 represents an elevation view partly in cross section anddiagrammatic to some extent, illustrating one embodiment of 1 myinvention;

, Figure 2 is an end elevation view showing the header and coils of therefrigerating unit and parts associated therewith;

Figure 3 is a detail view in section along 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a detail sectional elevation view of the draft apparatus;and

Figure 5 is a view corresponding to Figure 1 illustrating a modifiedform of my invention.

In the drawings, reference character A represents a tank orrefrigerating chamber having inner and outer walls and 11 respectivelywith a temperature insulating medium 12 therebetween, such as cork, forexample. I

B represents a tank or container providing a source of the liquid to bedispensed described for purposes of illustration as ginger ale, the alewithin the tank being carbonated in accordance with general practice andpreferably under a relatively high pressure such as one hundred sixtypounds 'per square inch, for example. For convenience in handling,storage and shipment the tanks B may be of ten gallon size, for example,having a control valve 13 and coupling 14, the latter being adapted todetachably connect with a pipe or conduit 15. The latter pipe is passedthrough the tank A as shown in Figure 1.

For cooling the ale during its travel from the tank B or other source ofsupply to the point of dispensing I might provide a mechanicalrefrigerating unit C of the ordinary commercial type or other suitableconstruction. Such a unit includes a motor (not shown) and athermostatically controlled switch (not shown) for cutting the motor inand out at the respective limits of Cooling fluid is circulated betweenthe head er and unit C through pipes 18 and 19 astemperature desired.Thus when the temperature rises above a predetermined point thethermostat will act to cut in the motor and thus act to lower thetemperature with the control mechanism (as will later be apparent) untilthe desired low temperature limit is reached, at which time the thermo--stat will act to cut out the motor. Such operation for refrigeratingunits in general, is quite common and will be readily understood by oneskilled in the art. 16 represents the header or boiler having thecooling coils 17 communicating therewith.-

will be readily understood. The pipe 15 is preferably formed with aheader 20 and communicating therewith are a plurality of branch pipes21, each of the latter pipes preferably being spirally coiled for anumber of turns around the header 16 and cooling coil 17. The spiralcoils of the branch pipes 21 preferably engagev adjacent cool-' ingcoils 17 being nested closely therebetween whereby the heat of the coils21 may Leeaees be dissipated by conduct-ion to the cooling coils 17.

The free ends of the branch pipes 21 .are connected with another header22 which is preferably positioned substantially adjacent the bottom ofthe tank A, this point being the coolest in the tank as will later beapparent.

The tank A is preferably partially filled with a liquid 23 such aswater, the level of the same being preferably above the header 16 asshown. Located below this water level and preferably at the point ofconnection between pipe 15 and header 20 is the usual refrigerating unitmotor control bulb 24, the latter preferably contacting with header 20or pipe 15 so as to be subjected to the temperature of the ale passingfrom the relatively warm source B to the cooling coils 21. Thus thebulbis located at a point in the refrigerating system where the inflowingale is the Warmest, insuring the desired temperature at further pointsalong the system. Also when ale is drawn from the system, relrtivelywarmer ale will flow to the header 16 to replace the ale drawn and withthe bulb 241 located adjacent the pipe 15 or header 20 an extreme lysensitive control for the motor is obtained, more so than if the bulbwere located so as to be entirely surrounded by the water 23.

A further feature of my invention resides in providing means forpreventing the formation of an insulating film of cold water immediatelyadjacent the boiler 16 and cooling coils 17 To this end, I have provideda propeller agitator or circulating propeller 25 mounted on a shaft 26,the latter being extended through a suitable packed bearing 27. 28 is amotor for rotating shaft 26 and willtake place down between the baffles,

serving to increase the rate of heat transfer to the cooling coils 17and header 16 from the ,ale'in the ale circuit. With the-parts arrangedsubstantially as shown in the drawings the coolest part of'the water 23will be at the bottom of tank A preferably where the ale is conductedfrom header 22 as by pipe 31.

In operation of the system as thus far described, when the ale isconducted from the pipe 31 by any suitable device such as hereinafterset forth, ale to replace that conducted away will flow from the supplytank B to the header 20, whence it will be distributed to the branchpipes 21 for. cooling by circulation adjacent the cooling coils 17 and.

' the chamber A. I have found that with fifty feet of one-quarter inchblock tin ale-conducting pipe within the chamber A, my device describedabove, can cool forty gallons of ale per hour, from 74 F. to 36 F.continuous flow. Such a capacity is suflicient for ordinary purposes andif added capacity is found desirable, the coils 21 or 1701' both ofthese coils may be increased. Preferably when added capacity or anincreased rate of cooling of the ale is found desirable at any time, Ihave found it convenient to add cracked ice to the water 23. Such icewill not readily melt because of the relatively low temperature but willserve to readily and conveniently increase the rate of cooling of theale.

I Preferably Within the chamber A and surrounded by the water 23 is'asettling chamber 1) adapted to receive the high pressure ale from thepipe 31 and to afford partial relief of the ale pressure. The ale frompipe 31 passes into the settling chamber D as at 32, the flow beingcontrolled by a pressure regulator 33 of standard or other suitableconstruction. This regulator 33 may be set to permit flow of ale intochamber D when the pressure in the chamber falls below any predeterminedpressur the latter being ordit he' head or distance the ale must flowvertically to the point of draft.

The latter point is indicated in the drawings by the draft apparatus Eshown mountedon counter 35 forming the top of tank A although the draftapparatus may be positioned at any other desired point remote withrespect to the tank A, as for example,

several floors above the tank. Thus for the relatively small headillustrated in the drawings, the pressure regulator 33 may be set topermit flow of the alc into the chamber 'D whenever the pressure thereinfalls below six pounds per square inch.

The ale flowing into the chamber 1) will become foamy, liberating acertain amount of the gas contained in the high pressure ale. In orderto permit escape of this gas, to

v insure a relatively low pressure at-alltimes of the ale in thesettling chamber, to afford a proper taste of the ale,; and to permitthe .ale to readily settle to liquid form, the following construction isprovided.

Threadedl'y engaging .an opening 34 in the top of chamber D preferablyabove the water line, is a primary valve casing 35 providing a gaschammer 36. The gas from the settlm'g chamber is free to pass to thechamber 36 through port 37 of plug 38, the

latter having an axial bore affording a sliding bearing for valve stem39 of a primary valve 40, the latter controlling the escape of 46registering with the port 41 affording passage of the gas from chamber36 to a chamber 47 in the secondary valve casing, the passage of gasthereto being controlled by a secondary valve 48. normally seated by aspring 49. The gas in chamber 47 is free to escape through ports 50 and51, the latter communicating, by reason of suitable pip-- ing,preferably .With' the atmosphere. The compression of spring 49. may beregulated by rotating the cap 52, forming an abutment for the spring, atthe point of threaded engagement 53 with casing 44.

I have found it desirable, for example, to

arrange the spring 49 to act to seat the secondary valve 48 whenever thepressure of the gas in the settling chamber falls below two pounds persquare inch, such pressure establishing a minimum for the ale in thesettling chamber. When ale is drawn from the settling chamber the float,42 lowers unseating valve 40. If the pressure in the settling chamber isless than six pounds per square inch, high pressure ale will flow intothe chamber D past regulator 33 from pipe 31. Whenever the pressure ofale in chamber D is more than two pounds per square inch, and the valve40 unseated, the excess pressure passes from chamber D to primary valvechamber 36 past valve 40 and ports 41 and 46 to the. secondary valvechamber 47 whence it acts to unseat secondary valve 48,

the gas then escaping to the atmosphere by worn so as to leak,liberating all the gas from the settled ale and thus leaving the alewith a flat undesirable taste. With my invention the escape of the" gasfrom the settling chamber is positively controlled by the height of theale and when the valve 40 is unseated, then the valve 48 will op-' erateto liberate gas in excess of two pounds per square inch pressure. Evenif the valve 48 should leak, there is always a relatively large amountof gas being liberated by the inflowing' high pressure ale and when theale level rises, the valve 40 will positively close, thus trapping theremaining liberated gas from the ale in the settling chamber.

As shown in Figure 1, the settling chamber D 'is preferably locatedwithin the tank A and nearly entirely surrounded by the coolingwater 23.The propeller serves to maintain the temperature of the water in thevicinity of chamber D, the same as thetemperature in the vicinity of thecooling coils 17. 4

Theale from the chamber D is drawn off tothe draft apparatus E by a pipe54 preferably communicating with the chamber at the bottom where thesurrounding cooling water is of the lowest temperature. The draftapparatus E is best shown in Figure 4 and comprises the draft arm 55terminating in the draw-off spout or nozzle 56 controlled by a valve 57.As aforesaid the regulator 33 may be set to correspond with the pressurenecessary to force the ale up to the valve 57, the head being relativelylow as shown in the drawings.

In order to maintain the ale in the draft arm 55 equal to that in thechamber D, I have provided means for circulating the cold ale from thesettling chamber to the draft armso that as soon as valve 57 is opened,ale will be drawn from nozzle 56 at the temperature of the ale in thechamber D. To this end a circulating pipe 58 is connected preferablybetween the bottom of chamber D and a circulating pump F mounted onsupport 59 and actuated preferably by the shaft 26. This pump forces theale through pipe 59' which has a portion 60, extending upwardly into thedraft arm 55, open endedso as to pass the cold ale from chamber D to a.point adjacent the valve '57. Thus this Circulating pipe will causeacontinuous flow of cold ale upwardly through the pipe portion 60. anddownthe temperature of meaeea passage from the source of supply to thedispensing nozzle.

Instead of employing the mechanical refrigerating unit C for cooling andmaintaining the ale at the desired temperature, I may do away with suchunit and produce the cooling by employing cracked ice as shown in Figure5. In this modified form of my invention, the tank A as before, maycontain the settling chamber D. The high pressureale is conducted by apipe 15 preferably downwardly through the water 23 by the pipe portion61 to a point substantially at the bottom of the tank. From this pointthepipe is coiled upwardly as at 62 through the water to a pointsubstantially adj acent the top of the water whence it passes throughthe pipe 63 to the settling chamber 1) as before. Ice, preferably? incracked form, is introduced into tank A floating on the Water. Thepropeller agitator 25 driven from shaft 26 is encased in a screen 64 toprevent contact of the ice with the blades of the propeller. The pump Fas before, may be driven from propeller shaft 26 for establishing theaforesaid circulation of cool'ale between the dispensing apparatus andthe settling chamber.

I have found that the temperature of the water at the surface will besubstantially 32 F. and at the bottom substantially 40 F. so that byvcausing the incoming ale to flow upwardly through coils 62 therelatively warm ale is introduced at the bottom of the tank while therelatively cold ale is taken off at the water surface where the lowesttemperature of the water is realized. Furthermore, it will be noted thatthe circulating pipe 59' extends along the surface of the water furtherserving to maintain the desired low temperature of the ale drawn fromthe dispensing apparatus.-

While it is belived that from the foregoing description, the nature andadvantages of my invention will be readily understood, I desire to haveit understood that I do not limit myself to what is herein shown anddescribed and that such changes may be resorted to when desired as fallwithin the scope of the claims.

What I claim as my invention is 1. A carbonated beverage dispensingapparatus comprising a tank adapted to contain a cooling liquid, meansfor conducting the beverage within the tank from a source of supplywithout the tank, a pipe connected to receive the beverage within thetank and arranged in a circuitous path below the level of the liquid inthe tank, mechanical means for cooling the liquid, a settling chamberalso located within the tank, means for conducting the cooled beveragefrom said circuitous pipe to a point within the settlingchamber, theliquid within the tank also serving to maintain the desired temperatureof the beverage therewithin and {means for Circulating the coolingliquid in the tank around thesaid pipe and settling chamber. v 2. Acarbonated beverage dispensing apparatus comprisinga tank adaptedito contain a cooling liquld, a pipe for conducting the beverage within thetank from a source of supply, means for maintaining the liquid atpredetermined cooling temperature comprising a header and cooling coilsconnected with the header, said header and coils being submerged in theliquid,lsaid pipe having a portion coiled around the header betweenadjacent coils of the header, and means for conducting the cooledbeverage to a point without the tank.

3. A carbonated beverage dispensing apparatus comprising a tank adaptedto contain a cooling liquid, a pipe for conducting the beverage withinthe tank from a source of supply, means for maintaining the liquid atpredetermined cooling temperature com-- prising a header and coolingcoils connected with the header, said header and-coils being submergedin the liquid, said pipe having a portion coiled around the headerbetween adjacent, coils of the header and additional portions'extendinglongitudinally of and on opposite sides of the said header, means for Icausing circulation of the liquid within the tank,'and means forconducting the cooled beverage to a point-without the tank.

4. 'A carbonated beverage dispensing apparatus comprising a tank adaptedto contain a-cooling liquid, a pipe for conducting the beverage withinthe tank from a source.

of supply, means for maintaining the liquid at predetermined coolingtemperature com;- prising a header and cooling coils connected with theheader, said headerand coils being submerged in the liquid, said pipehav-' ing a portion coiled around the-header between adjacent coils ofthe header, baflies positioned at opposite sides of said cooling coils,a propeller rotatable within. the tank below the surface of the liquidfor circulating the liquid Within the tank,- and-means for conductingthe cooled point without the tank.

5.'A carbonated beverage dispensing-apparatus comprising a tank adaptedto contain a cooling liquid, a pipe for conducting the beverage withinthe tank from a source of supply, means for maintaining the liquid atpredetermined cooling temperature com} prising a header and coolingcoils connected with the header, said header and coils being submergedin the liquid, a control device for the last said means submerged in theliquid, said pipe having a coiled portion submerged in the liquid, andmeans for conducting the cooled beverage to a point without the tank.

6. A carbonated beverage dispensing apparatus comprising a tank adaptedto conb'everage to v a.

7. A carbonated beverage dispensing ap- I paratus comprising a tankadapted to contain a cooling liquid, a pipe'for conducting the beveragewithin thetank from a source of supply, means for maintaining the liquidat predetermined temperature comprising a header and cooling coilsconnected with-the header, said header and coils being submerged in theliquid, a second header connected with the said pipe, a third header, a

series of pipes establishing branch connections between the second andthird said headers, means for conducting the cooled beverage to a pointwithout the tank, and means for establishing a circulation of the saidliquid within the said tank.

8. An ale cooling and dispensing apparatus comprising a. tank adapted tocontain a cooling liquid, a settling chamber within the tank, means forconducting high pressure ale from a source of supply through a pathbelow the water level and into .the said chamber, means for cooling theale during its travel to said settling chamber, means for conducting thesettled low.pressure ale from the said chamber, said cooling meanshaving a control device positioned adjacent the first said beverageconducting means for automa-tically actuating the same between pre- 7determined temperature limits.

9. Ina beverage dispensing apparatus, a tank adapted to contain -acooling medium, mechanical means for cooling the said cooling medium,including a cooling unit arran ed within the said tank, and a beverageconductor arranged within the said tank and surrounding the said coolingunit.

10. In a beverage dispensing apparatus,

a tank adapted to contain a cooling medium,

mechanical means for cooling the said cooling medium including a coolingunit arranged within the said tank, baflies on opposite sides of thesaid cooling unit; and a beverage conductor arranged between the saidbaflies-and adjacent the said cooling unit.

11. In a beverage dispensing apparatus, a

tank adapted to contain a cooling medium,- mechanical means for coolingthe sand coolin'g medium including a header and coils connected to thesaid header, the said header and coils being arranged-within the saidtank, and a beverage conductor surroundlng the said header and havingportions nested tank, a'beverage conductor surrounding the between thesaid coils. said header and having portions arranged 12. In a beveragedispensing apparatus, between the said coils, and means for maina tankadapted to receive a cooling medium, taining a circulation of thecooling medium 5 mechanical means for cooling the said 0001- between thesaid coils and around the said ing medium including a header and coilsbeverage conductor. connected to the said header, the said header Intestimony where f I affix my signature. and coils being arranged withinthe said N E DOUGHTY.

